


Lighthouse

by Nezushi16



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Power Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Top Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:09:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28932288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezushi16/pseuds/Nezushi16
Summary: Levi was used to life being simple and organized. He woke up, went to work, came home, cooked dinner, took a shower, then went to sleep. That was his daily routine, until one moment displaced his entire life... "You're blind, Levi." {Eventual Ereri} (Blind!Levi)
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Converging Ships**

Levi loves roses in the spring, the smell of them calms him, making him forget everything around him; Roses also help him move on from all that has happened recently. Levi was used to life being simple and organized. He woke up, went to work, came home, cooked dinner, took a shower, then went to sleep. That was his daily routine, until one moment displaced his entire life. One moment that happened in a blink of an eye, an instant, a millisecond even. The moment Levi was hit by an oncoming car while he was walking home. To him, it all seemed like a dream, until he finally woke up. The world was black, and only black. There was no light, no colors, no people. At the time, he thought he was still dreaming, if he had, he'd have thought it was nice to not see any people. However, he soon realized he was wide awake. After a nurse had spoken to him and touched his arm, he noticed that she was invisible to him. He couldn't see her, just feel her ice-cold fingers messing with his arm.

"Why can't I see? Who are you and what have you done to me?! " He yelled, his tone laced with confusion and sadness.

"Sir, please refrain from yelling. Others are trying to sleep." She calmly spoke, still messing with his IV.

"Then tell me why I can't see!"

"You're blind, Levi." A foreign voice said. Levi hadn't known they were there until they spoke. He was so confused, dare he say scared. Who were these people? Nevertheless, he ushered another word through his lips, hoping for an answer of confirmation regarding what he just heard.

"B-blind?"

"Yes. You can't see, right?"

"N-no...I...I can't." He weakly confirmed.

"We're in a brightly lit room, are you telling me you can't even see shapes or shadows?" The man urged on.

"I can't see anything, it's just dark."

"Hm...that's uncommon."

The nurse finished dressing Levi's arm and moved away, or that's what he assumed. She could've been staring at him and he wouldn't know. He gripped the bed sheets and let out a pitiful whimper, finally allowing his pent-up sadness to flow out. Tears trailed down his pale cheeks and cascaded onto the bed. His back slumped over as he rested his forehead on his legs.

"Help me...please..."

"Certainly, we'll try our best. It's likely that you'll need a guide dog, though." The doctor said in the most reassuring voice he could muster.

"A guide dog?"

"Yes, to help you move around."

The doctor addressed that he would be leaving, as did the nurse. After they were gone, Levi just sat there. What else could he do? He was blind, it's not like he could just get up and gallivant out of the hospital. So, all he did for the next week was lay in bed and attempt to walk around his room, with the help of a nurse, of course. Half of his time was spent yelling at the nurses for not warning him before they touched him. Although, he had to admit, his hearing was getting better. Much better. He could hear people's footsteps when they would enter the room, sometimes before they would come in, and even voices through closed doors.

A couple days later, after the doctor said he could be discharged, he had to walk down the hallway of the hospital as a sort of test. He aced that stupid test with flying colors, if only he could actually see colors, or the look on his doctor's face. That would be exhilarating. He was happy to be out of the hospital, away from all of those terrible pills and liquids they made him take. Now all he had to do was get home, still with the help of someone, much to Levi's distaste. He was supposed to meet them outside the building, that's why he maneuvered himself over to one of the benches near the entrance. He knew what hospital he was at, so he had a vague idea of where the benches were. Good for him. He sat there for what felt like hours until someone finally sat next to him and spoke up.

"Um...are you Levi?" The boy said. Levi positioned his body towards the sound of the boy's voice.

"Yes. And you are?"

"Ah! Eren. Eren Jaeger."

"So, you're gonna be my eyes until I'm certified to have a guide dog?" Levi questioned, lifting an eyebrow in the process. Eren nervously chuckled at his gesture.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

Levi sighed and leaned further into the bench before extending his arm for Eren to grasp.

"Very well. Can you take me to a market place before I head home?"

Eren lit up at his acceptance, then silently reprimanded himself for making Levi wait for an answer.

"Y-yes, of course. I'd be happy to." He continued to say.

He then took Levi's arm in his own, and slowly stood up, making sure Levi caught his balance. Then the two walked down the street, arm in arm, gaining a few glances here and there. Eren didn't pay them much mind, he was just happy to be helping his new friend. Though he had to admit, Levi was pretty handsome. But he quickly pushed that thought aside and continued down the sidewalk, smiling from ear to ear.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Roses**

Eren led Levi down to one of the markets close to the hospital, hoping that he wouldn't displease the man with his choice. They stopped just outside the store, and Eren allowed Levi to tug his arm away. The boy watched as Levi trailed his fingers across the different items, mainly fruit, and picked them up one by one. His gaze wavering over each and every booth, even though he couldn't see, his eyes still looked ahead. Eren just watched, amazed at how beautiful Levi's movements were. Once Levi was happy with his selected goods, he motioned at Eren to pay for him, then they left as quickly as they'd came.

As they walked, Levi kept telling Eren he could walk faster if he wanted to, but Eren refused every time, settling for a slow, steady pace. It took a good long while for the two to reach Levi's house. One reason being that Eren had gotten them lost by taking a left turn instead of a right one. He finally solved the problem by using Google Maps. Thank goodness for Google because Levi was about to rip his hair out. He just wanted to get home.

After that little smidgen of an adventure, Levi finally got his wish. He knew he was home once he heard the neighbor's children laughing and giggling. He recognized their voices and smiled at the visual of their faces in his mind. He wasn't one to flash a genuine smile unless he was really happy, since he'd always loved children, it was one of those happy moments. Eren noticed and smiled as well before leading Levi up the steps to the porch. His arm held onto Levi's as he made sure the man didn't slip or misstep, that would be bad. Once Levi had successfully made it onto the porch, he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He then ushered Eren aside and attempted to unlock the door, giving up after several failed tries. Giving in, he handed Eren the keys and waited for him to open the door.

When Eren saw how clean and beautiful the house was, he felt a little envious of Levi. He just lived in an apartment a few blocks away from his college. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. He was just a bratty student, he didn't belong in a lavish house like Levi's. That's why he felt bad having to break the news to Levi about him having to stay there until he got a guide dog. He watched as the man found his way into the living room and flopped down on the couch.

Finally gaining the courage to speak up, he said, "Uh...Levi? I... I'm going to need to stay here for a while."

"What? Why? This is my house, I know my way around."

"Yes but...you still need help."

"I do not, now get out."

Eren moved over to one of the cushions next to Levi. His hands sat firmly in his lap as he spoke again. Levi looked away from the boy in attempt to ignore him.

"Please Sir. Let me help you."

"No. I don't want you here. Leave."

Levi stood up and walked away, but not before the toe of his shoe caught the edge of the coffee table. His body readjusted, but he was still falling. Luckily, Eren reacted quickly, wrapping his arms around Levi's tiny body, and bringing him into an upright stance again. His action didn't go unnoticed since Levi looked a little grateful because of it.

"You should be careful, this may be your home, but now you have to learn to navigate it without your eyes to help you." Eren scolded.

"...You're wrong, I still have my eyes."

Eren was silent, seemingly confused by his statement, so he decided to finish his thought.

"I'll have you here with me. You're my 'eyes', right?"

"Ah! Y-yes Sir, I am."

Levi silently praised the boy for catching him, then offered his arm once more. Eren gladly took it and asked where he wanted him to take him.

"Upstairs, to the bedroom. I'll show you where it is."

Eren blushed at Levi's nonchalant statement, thankful that the man couldn't see it.

"Ok."

With that, he walked up the stairs with Levi by his side. He cautiously guided the man to his bedroom and over to the queen-sized bed.

"Thank you."

"No problem. It is my job, after all."

The dark-haired man gazed up at Eren, then began pulling his shoes off. Getting into bed, he quickly covered up and hid his head under the blankets, suppressing the feeling to cry.

"You can sleep in the guest room. It's down the hall, the last one on the right."

"Alright. Thank you."

Levi just mumbled in response as he sank deeper into the safety of the covers.

"Goodnight, Levi."

Following Levi's directions, Eren found his way to the guest room. Enamored by how pretty the wallpaper was, a golden, metallic lace, followed by white base paint. The floor was hardwood, Eren assumed it was either Oak or Birch. His eyes eventually fell on the bed. The sheets were white, just like the wall, although they had a silky look to them. He walked over to the bed and gently sat on the edge, enjoying the silkiness of the fabric.

_What kind of job does this guy have? These are expensive sheets._

Snapping out of his dazed reality, he took off his shoes and neatly set them aside. As he slipped into the blankets, his nose was engulfed with Levi's scent. It smelled like rose water perfume, sweet, yet subtle. He fell asleep to the smell, his thoughts lingering and content with his career choice.

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I hope you guys like this chapter. I didn't really plan anything, I just kind of wrote it down, so I don't know how it turned out. Lol...anyway! Bye! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Switzerland**

Eren woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Once the scent had registered in his mind, and he realized that meant Levi was up, his body shot up. His feet groggily slipped into his shoes and he headed downstairs. As he reached a certain point on the stairs, he could see Levi's torso come in to view. He was standing in front of the stove, swirling a spatula around a pan that contained the eggs. As Levi reached up to open one of the cabinets, Eren's gaze slid down a little lower, then quickly returned to the man's shoulders. Hearing Eren's feet hit the floor, Levi glanced over his shoulder and greeted Eren.

"Well, he's alive. I thought you were dead when I walked in to check on you earlier." Levi said while sprinkling pepper into the pan.

"Morning. You do know you aren't supposed to be cooking right now, right?"

"Yeah, but I had to make something for you before you woke up, it's common courtesy."

"I could've waited." Eren said as he moved behind Levi, grasping his hand to move it away from the skillet.

"What're you doing?" Levi protested.

"Keeping you safe. Now, come sit down while I finish the food." Eren lazily said as he guided Levi over to the couch, forcing him to sit down. He trudged back to the stove and finished scrambling the eggs, he then poured Levi some orange juice. He placed everything on a tray next to the counter, and brought it to Levi like some kind of house maid.

"Here, I got you some juice, too. I hope you like it." He stated while setting the tray on the coffee table.

"Thanks."

"Mhm."

Eren sat down next to Levi, he found a remote sitting nearby.

"Do you mind if I turn on the TV?"

"Sure."

Eren clicked the 'on' button and the TV turned on, revealing a news channel. There was a lady talking, she was showing the scene of a crash that happened a few weeks ago. The next news reporter stated that they hadn't located the victim, but that the driver of the car was in stable condition. Eren intently listened to everything they were saying, then Levi's voice caught his attention.

"Turn it off."

"H-huh? Why?"

"Just turn it off." He said as he finished the last of his bacon, setting his fork on the plate with a clink.

Eren clicked the 'off' button on the remote and stared at Levi. His mouth opened to say something, but a knock at the door stole his words.

"Levi! Are you in there!?"

"Who is that?" Eren asked.

"He's my boyfriend."

"B-boyfriend?!"

"Yes, now open the door."

Eren hesitantly complied, stepping over to open the door, allowing the man outside to enter. He had blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, and extremely broad shoulders. Eren was quite taken aback by his height, too.

_This is who he sleeps with!? He's so tall! How the heck does Levi deal with that?_

"Levi, I was so worried about you." The blond strode up to Levi and pulled him into a tight embrace, at which the smaller man flinched, surprised by the sudden contact.

"Hi, Erwin."

"Oh, Levi. You have no idea how worried I was. After I heard about the accident, I rushed here, but you were nowhere to be found."

"Yeah...I was in the hospital." Levi said, wiggling free from Erwin's grip.

Erwin nodded and settled onto the couch next to his partner.

"Are you alright?"

Levi was staring at his plate, his eyes unmoving, as if he was in deep thought. Erwin tapped his arm a couple times before the man finally looked back up. He gazed at the blond, not realizing that he'd asked a question. Noticing this, Erwin repeated himself.

"Levi, are you ok?"

The smaller man frowned slightly, then returned to eating. Lifting the fork to his mouth, he glanced over to Eren, then continued what he was doing.

"Of course. You didn't think a little car crash would sweep me off my feet, did you?" He said while chewing.

"No, but...you seem..." The larger man faltered, thinking of the right words to say. "...different."

"Oh? I do?"

"Yes, you aren't looking at me, all you're doing is staring behind me. Why won't you look at me?"

Eren was still awkwardly standing near the door, and what he was hearing frustrated him to the max. He had studied seeing-impaired people for years, they never precisely locate where to look and, to most, their eyes seem hollow. People like Levi, who aren't used to being blind, don't really know how to talk to people. They don't look at the person they're speaking to, find ways to look at something else, or ignore the situation completely. After listening to the two for a while, Eren had concluded that Erwin had no idea Levi was blind. So, he decided to speak up, believing it would be better for them both.

"He's blind, so he doesn't know where to look."

Erwin glanced over to Eren, who was shifting from one foot to the other. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke.

"He's what?"

"He's blind, Sir. He can't see you, that's why he isn't looking at you."

The entire room dropped to silence. Meanwhile, Levi was internally facepalming.

"It's true, Erwin. I am, in fact, blind. Everything is black. I can't even tell where you are, except that you're next to me."

"What? You can't see me at all?"

"Exactly." Levi said as he pointed his fork, as if to say 'bingo'.

It took a few seconds for Erwin to process everything. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. Levi couldn't see him?

_Well, this complicates things. I didn't expect a change in plans._

"Erwin?"

"Ah, yes, Levi?"

"Are we still going on that trip?"

_Jeez...It's like he can read my mind. What am I gonna tell him? We can't go now that he's blind. Shit._

"Um...well...you see..."

"Mhm?"

"Eh?! I'm sorry, was that rude to say?"

"Huh?"

"Oh...n-nevermind then. Anyway, I don't think it's probable that we'll be going to Switzerland any time soon. Not with the condition you're in." Erwin said, not so much as blinking. His posture was so tense, and his hands were shivering.

Levi nearly collapsed at his words. He'd been waiting 5 years to go to Switzerland. All he wanted to do was visit his grandmother's grave. Levi and his grandma were very close when he was little, but he was separated from her after his parents divorced, his mother taking him to the US. She died when he was a teenager and he wanted to pay his respects, but it took him a while to locate where she was buried. And now, the thought of never being able to see her again made him sick to his stomach. He clutched on to Erwin's arm and squeezed with all his strength, hoping to convey his feelings of desperation.

"Please, Erwin...I'm...begging you..."

"You know that you can't go in the state that you're in."

Levi gripped to the man harder, teeth clenching in the process.

"I just want to see her again!"

"You can't see her and you know it, so what's the point?"

"I don't care! I just want to be near her. Please?"

"No. It's impossible. I'm not guiding you all over Switzerland just to find a worn-out grave that means nothing to me." With that, Erwin walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Levi was sitting in the middle of the floor, having fallen off the couch when Erwin jerked away from him. Eren's arms wrapped securely around him, his body was trembling, shaking from the anxiety. Eren tightened his hug, allowing the man to lean on his chest.

"It's ok, I promise."

"I... I just wanted...to be with her...one last time." Levi choked out through sobs and hiccups.

"I know, It's alright. I'm here." Eren calmly cooed, brushing his hand across Levi's silky hair.

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**Hello! I know this is an angsty chapter, but it started off really cute. I know, I know, 'How dare you, Author-chan!' Erwin is also kinda mean...so yeah...bye bye! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 –Aligned Compasses**

_"I'm here."_

Those were the only words Levi heard before passing out from exhaustion. He went limp in Eren's arms, which sent the younger boy into a panic. He held Levi close to his chest, the faint sound of a heartbeat signifying that the man was alive. Eren sighed a breath of relief, then picked the smaller man up and carried him upstairs to his room. After he had laid Levi down on the bed and covered him up, he trotted back downstairs to the kitchen. Once the dishes had been washed, Eren moved over to the couch and turned the TV on.

The same news story from earlier was on and Eren still listened closely to what the reporters had to say. After a few minutes of watching the news, he heard yet another knock at the door. From what had happened earlier, Eren figured it was Erwin crawling back to apologize. So he didn't get up to answer it, until he heard a feminine, not masculine, voice echo from outside. Eren was confused, but he opened the door anyway.

"Oh, hello." He said as he greeted the stranger.

A petite girl with red hair was standing there, in her hand was a basket full of goodies. The smell of bread wafted up and assaulted Eren's nose. She was quite joyful for it to be 11 in the morning, a little too much so. The girl pushed Eren aside and waltzed into the house, Eren following close behind. She turned around, her frilled boots dancing with the movement. The boy stared at her, not really knowing what to do. Levi was asleep, and Eren really didn't want to wake him up for something this small.

"Where's Levi? He's here, isn't he?" The redhead questioned, her feet explored around the room a little before returning to Eren. "I have urgent business with him."

"Well...yes, he's here...but he's sleeping."

The girl frowned lightly, then spun on her heels and bounced up the stairs, straight to Levi's room. Eren panicked and quickly followed after her. He had to admit, she was fast on her feet for being so short. She was already in Levi's room before he had even reached the top of the steps.

"Wait, you can't go in there while he's sleeping." Eren pushed on, quietly jogging into the room after her, grabbing her wrist in the process. She pulled away from his touch and continued walking over to where Levi was resting peacefully.

_Crap! I can't let her wake him up. He'll be so mad. Who is this girl anyway?_

Eren, once again, gripped the girl's wrist. She shot him a cold glance over her shoulder, her intimidating stare caused him to release her arm. He just stood there, waiting for the yelling and scolding to start.

"Levi-kun!~ I have some freshly baked bread for you!~" She said while skipping over to Levi's side.

Levi's eyes fluttered at the girl's voice, but he didn't wake up. He laid still, rolling over as soon as she touched him.

"Are you dreaming, Levi-kun?~" She cooed in his ear.

_'Levi-kun?~'_

_Levi's eyes opened, the sight didn't reveal his bedroom, but a vast expanse of white, followed by an ocean of clocks._

_'W-what? What's going on?'_

_'Your time is running out, Levi.'_

_He turned around at the voice of the strange person._

_'What does that mean?'_

_'It means exactly what it says. Your time is ticking. You're on the clock, Levi.'_

_The apparition vanished and, in its place, a chess board appeared. Levi walked up to the black and white board and picked up one of the pieces; it was the queen. At that moment, the floor disappeared, causing the man to fall into the black abyss below him._

Reaching his hand towards the ceiling, he called Eren's name out in a choked scream. His face was dotted with sweat and his breathing was irregular. Eren shoved the girl out of the way and placed his hand on Levi's shoulder to show that he was there.

"It's ok. Did you have a nightmare?" Eren asked while patting the sweat away from the man's forehead.

"Y-yeah...Eren...I..."

"Hm?"

Levi hesitated, not knowing how to word his next statement without seeming weird.

"Can you...lay with me...just for tonight?" He finally said.

"U-um..." Eren couldn't help the blush that dusted across his entire body." Levi...are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, I ju-" He was immediately cut off by the harsh voice of a girl. The same girl that forced herself past Eren to get to Levi.

"What!? How could you say something like that, Levi-kun!?" She starkly spat.

Levi registered her voice and placed a face on a name.

"P-Petra?"

"Yes! Now, I've come here to give you these!" Eren held out his hand to take the basket, but she jerked it away and carried on with her rage. "And I need to know how long you're willing to stall for time!"

The man's grip tightened onto Eren's shirt, gripping it as if his life depended on it.

"What is she talking about?"

All he got was silence in return. Levi looked down, letting go of Eren's shirt as he did.

"Levi?"

"He's set to marry me, we're affianced. Didn't you know?" Petra informed, watching as Levi practically lost what little resolve he had left.

"N-no...you're wrong, Petra. I didn't consent to any of that." Levi growled, his hands now clenched into fists, tugging on the bedsheets.

"Oh, really? Then why do you still have the bracelet I gave you all those years ago?"

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**Cliffhanger! I know, I'm terrible! Scold me if you wish.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Treacherous Shallows**

"Bracelet? What bracelet?" Levi skeptically questioned, staring down as he did.

Petra bounced over to Levi's side, shoving Eren out of the way in the process. She tightly gripped the older man's wrist and tugged it up, showing off the display of bright colors that made up the beaded bracelet. Levi had long forgotten it was even there, he couldn't see it so it didn't really exist to him, especially since beads can't talk. He honestly didn't care about the old thing anyway, he just wore it to make Petra's father less suspicious of him being homosexual. It was a win-win for both sides, or so he thought.

The younger boy was about tired of being pushed away from Levi, the one person he was supposed to be watching over. He was also getting sick of Petra's annoying, high-pitched, girly voice. That's one reason why he leaned towards men, they were more attractive when it came down to sex appeal and charm. Sure, girls could slather themselves down with oil or wear skimpy bikinis, but nothing could compare to a toned, shirtless guy at the beach who just got out of the water. Absolutely _nothing_ could top that.

_I swear...if she keeps bothering Levi, I'm done._

"Oh, Levi-kun~ When are you gonna propose, huh?~"

_Ok! That's it, she's out!_

Eren swiftly stiffened his posture, aggressively sweeping the air as he moved. The redhead scowled up at him with a death glare. Too bad for her, it didn't work on him this time. He brushed past her and crouched down next to Levi, gently padding his fingers over the man's hand. Levi flinched slightly, then Eren addressed that it was him and he visibly relaxed. Eren smiled warmly, not caring that Levi couldn't see. He just wanted to smile at the other's calmness. Eren wanted that moment to last forever, but Petra had other plans. It wasn't long before her annoying voice could be heard complaining right in Eren's ear.

"I'm getting bored here, are you gonna leave so me and my fiancé can be alone?" She griped. _  
_

The older man shifted a little and then laid back down. He pulled Eren closer to his body, faking a glare at Petra. He wasn't even completely sure he was looking at her, he was just guessing. His illusion of eye contact faded when he felt Eren wiggle underneath his touch. The boy sure was a jitterbug, but jeez, he had the attention span of a gnat.

"Levi...? Why're you doing this?" Eren asked, attempting to pull away from Levi.

"Because I want to. That's why."

"...um..."

"Excuse me? Am I gonna get any attention?" It was Petra again. God, she was getting on Levi's last nerve. Any second now and he could snap.

Eren decided to speak up this time, finally wriggling away from Levi to stand in front of Petra.

"No, go get attention elsewhere. Levi clearly isn't interested. So, in other words, fuck off." He figured his size was intimidating since she was now backing away from the two guys. Eren towered over the girl by at least two feet.

"Eren? What's going on?"

The boy turned around, smiled at Levi, then said, "It's nothing, Levi. She'll be gone in a minute. I promise."

"W-what? Why don't you know what's happening? You're literally looking right at us." The girl sarcastically spat. To be honest, she was getting ready to smack the living shit out of Levi. She was pretty sure Eren wouldn't allow that though.

"He's blind."

"What?!"

"I said he's blind, now get out." Eren restated in a terrifyingly unnerving tone, it even made Levi shudder a little.

"I... I, um...Levi..."

"Get out." This time, the words came from Levi. Eren hadn't even heard her voice before the man had spoken up.

Petra stepped out of the room and ran down the hallway and sprinted out the front door, slamming it as she made her exit. Eren peered over the stairs and watched as she left to make sure she didn't try to break anything. Luckily, she didn't and he could go back to Levi.

"Sorry about that. You ok? It looked like you were having a bad dream earlier."

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine. Dreams are the one place I actually enjoy being now...I mean, I can actually _see_ in my dreams." Levi calmly muttered, yawning right after.

"That's true. Anyway, you look tired so I'll leave you alone." The brown-haired boy went to leave, but Levi managed to catch his arm before he could.

Levi gripped his arm tightly, not wanting the boy to go. He didn't want to be alone, he'd already dealt with so much already. He just wanted someone to cuddle with. Someone warm to curl up against and spoon with. Erwin had deprived him of that so much within the past months, and Levi had automatically suspected something. He still wasn't sure about Erwin, but he knew something was going on. Levi's grasp gradually tightened as he thought about Erwin, causing the boy to worry.

"Levi, are you sure you're ok?"

"...yeah...I'm sure."

The two sat there for a while, content with the situation, but eventually, it got rather boring and Eren decided to break the silence.

"So...um...do you want me to leave?"

"No. I don't."

"Why not? You need your rest."

"Are you dumb or something?"

"I don't think I am, but please elaborate."

"Fine." Levi sighed before continuing. "I can't sleep unless someone is with me. It used to not be like that, but Erwin fucked that up bigtime. Now I have to be up against someone or something in order to fall asleep. It doesn't have to be a person, I just...I can't stand it...I get these damn nightmares and they won't end...it's so annoying..."

Eren was somewhat shocked at his outburst. It wasn't normal for Levi to say personal things like that out of nowhere. Although, he _did_ ask him to elaborate.

"So, you need someone there to sleep? Like a cuddle buddy?"

"That sounds weird, but yeah..."

Well, that settles it. Eren had finally found the loophole in the system. He'd found a way to spend even more time with Levi.

"If you want...I could be the one that stays with you."

Levi gazed up at him, he looked somewhat confused at Eren's compliance with the situation. He figured Eren would be running for the hills right now. Then, Eren added to his sentence.

"T-that is, if you want! I don't wanna force anything on you."

Levi chuckled at the boy's frantic words, a smile tugged at his lips and forced him to frown to hide it.

"I don't mind. As long as you aren't an ice block, I'll be ok with it. And you have to take a shower before you get in my bed. I don't tolerate filthy brats."

"But Levi..."

"No. Go take a shower. It's almost noon, right? Sorry for not knowing, I'm bad at time now."

"Yeah, it is. Anyway, I'll be back." Eren trotted off to bathe.

Levi just scoffed and snuggled back under the warm blankets, burying his nose into the place where Eren had been setting his elbows. His scent was still lingering and Levi had to say that the kid smelled pretty nice. He used a fruity cologne that wasn't too overwhelming. Levi liked that Eren was generic and simple, just the way his life had been before. A few minutes later, Eren emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, drying his hair. He tossed the towel in the hamper and walked up to Levi.

"Hey, I'm back."

"Yeah, I can smell you."

"What? My shampoo isn't that bad, is it?"

"Huh? Oh, no no, I meant you smell nice."

"Oh..." Eren flushed slightly, still glad that Levi couldn't see.

Levi scooted over and pulled back the covers for Eren. He could feel the weight of the mattress shift to one side as the boy's body slid under the blankets next to him. He immediately clung to Eren's side, pushing his nose into his chest. He wasn't even paying attention to who it was, all he knew was that someone was there, someone cared. He did enjoy Eren's warmth though, he was like a heater, unlike Levi. His body never got past 96.6 degrees, contrary to the average of 98.6. Eren felt like he was higher than 100 degrees, but if that was the case, then he'd be running a fever. Thankfully, he wasn't.

They stayed like that for a while until Levi shifted on his side and Eren unconsciously spooned him from behind. He pulled the smaller man closer to him and buried his face in Levi's hair. It smelled sweet, like flowers. He ended up falling asleep like that. With Levi already asleep, it didn't really matter, but he'd probably get a lecture tomorrow complaining about spooning him or something. It was fine though, as long as Levi was able to sleep through the night, Eren was happy to take all of the consequences.

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**This is much fluffier than the previous chapters, I hope you guys like it. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Shipwreck**

Levi hated mornings. He'd never been a morning person; he despised the sun coming up at dawn because of how bright it was. It's impossible to drive at specific times of the morning, especially 8 o'clock, and Levi's had his fair share of wrecks due to the sun. But now there was no blinding light impairing his vision, he had no vision, so there was no point in worrying. He loved it, almost.

When he woke up the next day, he had no idea if it was morning or not. It could've been the middle of the day for all he knew. The only thing that lead him to believe it was morning was Eren. The boy was softly snoring next to him and he had his arm wrapped around Levi's torso, with his hand resting on the man's lower stomach. His legs were tangled with Levi's as well. The older man felt so wanted, but he knew Eren didn't feel that way about him, he couldn't. After all, Levi was just an old blind man. There was nothing he could do for Eren. He'd be better off with a pretty girl that could actually make him dinner without burning something, a girl who made him happy.

He just knew Eren already disowned him for being gay. He could tell that from his voice after he met Erwin. He started acting strange, anxious even, like he was unsure if he should be around Levi. But, nevertheless, he was here cuddling with him. He was calming him, keeping him from having nightmares, and letting him sleep. It really did make Levi feel wanted and loved, but he knew it was wrong. Eren was just a kid. Well, not exactly, he was at least 22, but that's still a kid in Levi's mind. It was too much of an age gap for his liking, Levi was 36, not to mention that Eren wasn't interested in him.

The boy began to stir, Levi could feel how Eren's body tensed up as he stretched. His face scrunched up in a yawn before tightly gripping Levi's waist again. The man stiffened and looked behind him. He couldn't tell if Eren was awake or not, one downside to being blind is that you can't see facial expressions. Even more so in Levi's case, seeing as he couldn't see anything, just pitch-black color. He really wanted to know if the boy was asleep though. He could just ask him, if he got no response then that would mean he was asleep. So, that's what Levi decided to do. He rolled over to face Eren and gently spoke in an almost whisper.

"Hey, Eren? Are you there?" He sat and waited for a few moments before concluding that Eren was, in fact, asleep. Then, he added to his sentence. "I'm glad you're asleep...because I want to say so many things. I just never have the chance to say them since you're always awake and busy..."

He paused to catch his breath before continuing.

"I know you think I'm weird now, but I don't care. I...I think I might like you...or maybe I love you. I'm not sure what to call my feelings, I just know I don't want to lose you. Your personality is amazing...you're just so sweet to me even though I'm a stick in the mud. Thank you for that..." He trailed off looking for the right words.

His mouth opened to speak again, but his voice never came out. It couldn't because he was interrupted by Eren's voice.

"You're welcome." The brunet said as he tightened his grip on Levi's waist. The man pulled away, but quickly relaxed into his grasp. Then it hit him.

_Was that brat really awake the entire time?! Damn it!_

"Eren!"

"What?"

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

"What?! Why didn't you say anything?" Levi was about to beat the crap out of him, but he restrained himself.

Eren was currently laughing his face off at Levi's reaction. His face was hilarious, it was something in between disgusted and confused. Eren was humored at how he looked, but he finally calmed down and let go of Levi's waist.

"Jeez...you could've at least said something, I don't appreciate being toyed with." Levi was beyond angry at this point, yet all he wanted to do was keep cuddling against Eren.

"Sorry, I thought it would be funny. I'll go away since you seem angry at me." The boy slipped out of the bed and walked out of the room. Levi wanted to follow him, he also wanted to stay in bed though.

In the end, he decided to just lay there and stare at the ceiling that wasn't there. The darkness was getting boring, he just wished he could see what Eren looked like. He wanted to know what color his eyes were, what his smile looked like, how tall he _actually_ was. He wanted to know everything. Then, a lightbulb moment happened. He could've just asked Eren all of those questions when they first met.

However, with Eren downstairs, he couldn't move from the bed anytime soon. Sure, he could try to walk down the stairs like he did yesterday, but that would just end with him getting bruised. His legs still hurt from the bruises he got from doing that the other day, he wasn't about to be stupid and do it again. So, he decided to wait until Eren came back into the room, which took way longer than he originally thought.

It was nearly an hour later when Eren came sauntering into the bedroom, humming as he did. Levi was almost half asleep already, but he swiftly sat up when he smelled food. He could hear Eren's footsteps gradually stepping closer to the bed and straightened his back once the boy set the tray on his lap.

"Careful, the coffee is hot." He said as he guided Levi's hand to the steaming cup.

"I can tell."

"Hey! I knew if I came up here and it was cold, or even lukewarm, you'd kill me." The brunet protested.

Taking a sip of the hot coffee, Levi calmly said, "That's true, but I wouldn't hurt you too badly. I still need you to be my eyes."

"Well, yeah, but still..."

"Still?"

Eren sat on the edge of the bed and snuck a piece of bacon past Levi's plate. He munched on the piece until it was gone and then broke the silence.

"Nevermind, it wasn't important."

"Mhm."

"Anyway, did you really mean what you said earlier...about loving me?"

Levi froze, dropping his fork onto the plate. Eren flinched at the high-pitched _clinking_ sound it made in contact with the glass. The man blindly stared at his hands, they were shaking, he could feel it. He could feel the worry seeping into his body, all of the hatred he'd gotten over the years began overwhelming his mind.

_'You're disgusting! What guy screws men!?'_

_'Ew, you're a freak.'_

_'Being gay is a sin.'_

_'You should just die already!'_

_'That's nasty!'_

_'You're a crime to nature!'_

_'No one will ever love you!'_

_'You'll never find love.'_

_'Faggot!'_

"Levi!" It was Eren's voice.

Eren was shaking Levi's shoulders, trying to snap him out of his daze. The man shoved him away in one fluid motion.  


"No! Stay away from me! I-I'll only cause you pain." He was half yelling at himself.  


"Pain? What're you talking about?"  


"I...I'm bad luck. You'll be miserable if you stay here." Levi's head dropped and he clenched at the sheets.  


"What? Levi, I-"  


"Just go. Please."  


"No."  


"God damnit, Eren! I'm trying to help you!"

"Well, I don't want help! I want to stay with you!"  


Eren's face was swiftly met with Levi's hand in a sharp smack. The brunet stared at Levi like he'd just broken up with him, he looked hurt, like his entire world had ended. In reality, it had. The skin that Levi had hit stung with a dull, lingering pain. Eren couldn't believe it...Levi just _hit_ him. The man's steel-gray eyes widened in shock as he realized what he'd done. His hand instinctively moved up to caress Eren's cheek, but it was slapped away. The boy stood up and bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind him.  


"Eren, wait!" Levi shouted, but it was no use.

_Damn it!_   


Levi pushed the tray aside and stood up, fumbling around for a minute to find his shoes. He finally got dressed and found his way to the door. Once he walked out, he had to make his way down the stairs in order to leave the house. Levi's feet slowly moved forward, his hand running along the wall beside him. He felt for the beginning of the stairwell, then cautiously located every step as he went down, well...almost every step. He miscalculated and when his foot slipped off of one of the steps, his body fell down with a hard _thud_. Levi had just fallen down 7 steps, tumbling as he did. His head hit the 4th step and he was knocked unconscious by the force. He laid there, lifeless, for 3 hours until Erwin decided to show up.

The man was passing by and saw that the door was cracked open, so he chose to investigate. When he came in, all he saw was Levi's body laying still at the bottom of the staircase. He quickly picked the smaller man up and took him back to bed. That's who Levi was met with when he woke up: Erwin Smith.

His eyes slowly cracked open and his hand motioned over to the right side of the bed, the side where Eren had been, but there was no one there. He heard breathing next to him and glanced over.  


"Eren?"  


"No."  


Levi immediately recognized the man's husky voice.  


"E-Erwin...?"  


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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Contradicting Tides**

"Erwin?"

"Yeah."

"What're you doing here? I don't want you near me." Levi said coldly before turning away.

Erwin placed his hand on Levi's shoulder and firmly tugged his body to face him.

"Listen. I'm sorry for what I did...I just think it'll be difficult for you to go since you're blind."

"I can still walk, can't I?"

"Yes, but..."

The man sighed. "...I don't really care anymore...I hate you, so it doesn't matter." Levi retorted, jerking his body away from Erwin and flipping the blankets over his waist. Erwin laid his hand on Levi's side and gently rubbed circles on his clothes with his thumb. The black-haired man flinched slightly, then rolled over to face Erwin. His gray eyes pierced through the other's soul and shook him to his core.

"Levi..."

"What?"

"I love you."

"No, you fucked that up yesterday. Saying 'I love you' doesn't fix a single thing."

"Please, Levi. I do love you. All I want to do is hug you and say I'm sorry. Can I not even do that?"

Levi turned away from him again, not wanting to be near him anymore.

"Levi! I love you! What do I have to do to prove that fact?" Erwin was yelling at the man, praying that the neighbors wouldn't hear and call the police. That's the last thing he needed.

"Prove? What is there to prove? You stopped having sex with me weeks ago, so there's nothing more _to_ prove."

"Is that what you want?"

"What?"

"Sex, is that what you want from me?"

"I mean, it's nice and it feels good, but I thought I was just a useless blind man that you didn't love anymore."

Erwin gripped Levi's shirt, squeezing so hard that his nails dug into his hand through the fabric. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were clouded with anger. Although, none of that anger was directed at Levi.

"I don't want you to think that's all I wanted you for. I care about you." He said through gradually tightening teeth.

"Mhm...at least now you won't have to put up with my shit. Eren does that for you."

"That green-eyed, brunet kid?" Erwin questioned.

"Huh?"

"I said...oh, nevermind...sorry. Eren is the one who takes care of you, right?"

"Yes, but...did you say green eyes?"

Erwin nodded, but then quickly remembered that Levi couldn't see and gave him a verbal response.

"Yeah, he has greenish-blue eyes and brown hair, pretty tan skin, too."

"Hey, don't you make any moves on him. I don't want him to get hurt."

"Relax, I'd never try to seduce someone you like." Erwin sounded genuine, but Levi couldn't quite tell if he was or not.

"Really? And who says I like him?"

Erwin leaned in closer to the man's face, his nose just barely touching the other's. Then, without warning, he meshed his lips with Levi's. The smaller of the two tried to pull away, but Erwin wasn't allowing it. He held his hand firmly against the back of Levi's neck, rooting him in place. He couldn't pull away if he wanted to. Levi didn't particularly enjoy being French kissed by his ex, nor did he like being forced to do it. After a couple seconds, Erwin pulled away in a panting mess.

"Damn..." Erwin cursed under his breath.

Levi was having a hard time breathing, his throat just didn't want to inhale at all. He gasped for air, clutching his chest as he did.

"F-fuck you, Erwin..."

The blond smirked at this.

He laid his hand on Levi's waist and said, "If you insist." with a clear grin on his face.

"W-what?! No, I didn't actually mea-" He was interrupted by lips once again overlapping with his own. This time, however, he had the strength to push Erwin away, but it was no use. The taller man still overpowered him.

"Aw, what is it, Levi?"

"S-stop it...this isn't you..."

Erwin backed away slightly, then wrapped his arm around Levi's torso, pulling him closer. The other man tried to get away from his embrace, but he was too weak.

"Erwin, stop. Please. I...I don't want this..."

The man was persistent, he wanted Levi to accept him, he wanted him to love him again. That's all he desired. However, his tactics didn't seem to be working. He kept wondering what he was doing wrong; he still wasn't sure what the answer was, but he wanted to know.

"You know I love you."

"I don't care! I don't give a shit about how you feel! Just leave me alone."

"Now, now, we both know I'm not giving up on you." Erwin ran his hand up Levi's thigh, squeezing ever so slightly as he went.

"Stop...plea-" A heavy weight was pressing him against the bed, settled in-between his legs. It knocked the breath out of his lungs, causing him to gasp for air.

The blond leaned down and whispered into Levi's ear, gently licking his skin in the process, which made Levi shiver.

"Come now, you're so beautiful like this. Wanna show me a little more?" The man spoke softly with every word, but his voice wasn't the least bit kind.

_Please no...stop..._

Erwin slid his hand up Levi's shirt, to which the smaller man squirmed under his touch. His fingers were cold, to Levi they felt like ice. He wanted to get away, but his body wouldn't move; it was planted in that spot, refusing to obey his mind.

"E-Erwin..."

He didn't respond to Levi's voice, the only thing he was focused on was his body. He looked him over, enamored by the man's flushed skin and steely eyes. His hands seemed to move on their own, guiding themselves to Levi's chest and lifting up his shirt.

"Stop...p-please...I..." He'd given up on fighting back at this point. There was nothing he could do against Erwin, he was just too strong, especially with Levi being in the state he was.

_Eren...help...please...I'm so sorry..._

Just as he was about to fully succumb to Erwin's persistence, Levi heard loud footsteps coming closer. Well, he thought they were footsteps, it could just be his racing pulse thumping in his ears. Even so, he still wanted to know. He could hear a _thump_ before the door was thrown open with a _crack_. Levi flinched at the harsh noise. His eyes were heavy though, he wanted to sleep. His body slowly lost consciousness. Slowly, slowly, slowly...then, a voice brought him back.

"Levi!"

His eyes snapped open, though he couldn't see, he knew exactly who that voice belonged to.

"Eren?"

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Batten Down the Hatches**

Eren rushed over to Levi and shoved Erwin off of him. His hands were clenched and his nails were digging into his palm. It hurt, but he didn't care. He just cared about Levi's well-being.

"What the hell?!" Erwin yelled. He scooted away from Eren and climbed off the opposite side of the bed.

"Stay away from him." Eren yelled, trying to restrain himself.

"Oh, why? Are you two screwing or something?" Erwin was trying to get the boy riled up, he wanted Eren to throw the first punch, but that wasn't going to happen. Eren was used to bullies and being teased into fighting, he'd eventually learned to walk away. So, he stayed quiet and waited for Erwin to reach his breaking point.

"Come on, you guys are dating, right?"

No response.

"Are you happy with a whore like him? You _do_ know he's a slut, don't you?"

Eren's nails dug deeper into his skin, causing blood to pool in his palm and ooze between his fingers.

_It's not true. It's not true. It's **not** true. Levi isn't like that._

"Stop it, Erwin! He doesn't want to fight you!"

"I wish _you_ hadn't fought back. We could've been having fun right now, yet we're dealing with this instead."

_Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

"Hey, kid. You wanna have sex with Levi, right?"

Levi reached out for Eren, although he couldn't tell where he was. He was blindly searching for a flicker of light within an abyss of darkness. Even with the amount of anger that was flaming inside Eren, he still managed to notice Levi's hand reaching for him. He gently grabbed the man's hand and laced their fingers together. Levi felt a sudden warmth amidst the cold air of the room, he knew it was Eren, yet something felt _off_ about him. His hands were hot to the touch, not the average 98.6 body temperature. Levi thought this was strange, but he quickly forgot about it when Erwin spoke again.

"Levi, are you gonna tell this poor boy what kind of person you are?"

"W-what...I...I don't know what you mean..."

Eren's hand squeezed Levi's before letting go. The older man reached out again in search of his warmth, but he found nothing, just cold air.

_Eren...where are you? I need you...please..._

"You have no room to talk, Erwin. You were in here trying to seduce him, so that makes you a slut as well."

"Wait, Eren, don't make him mad. He'll hurt you."

Levi's voice didn't get through to the boy, but his touch did. He'd finally managed to locate Eren's hand again within the darkness of the room. He gripped onto the boy like his life depended on it.

_I'm sorry, Levi._

He harshly ripped his hand away from the man's grip and walked towards Erwin in a dreadfully hostile way. His eyes were clouded with anger and what little control he had earlier was gone. Not to mention that his hands were still dripping with blood.

"Eren, where are you?" The older man desperately asked.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Please stop, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Through clenched teeth, Levi screamed, "Eren!"

Levi's eyes widened at his own voice. He wasn't aware he could yell like that, considering he was always introverted and never spoke to anyone.

Eren froze, virtually glued to the floor. "L-Levi...?"

"I...I'm sorry..."

"Pfft, this is hilarious! Who knew the great and mighty Levi Ackerman had feelings!?" Erwin yelled.

Suddenly, Eren's feet ripped away from their place and he violently punched Erwin across his jawbone. The other man was caught off guard as he stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. There was no doubt he was knocked unconscious. Eren took a step back and admired his work before slowly walking over to Levi, taking his hands in his own.

"Eren..."

"I'm here."

Levi faltered for a moment, then laid his forehead against Eren's warm hands. The boy's calming scent enveloped his senses and he found himself drifting off to sleep. His body sluggishly fell onto the bed, wishing to be asleep.

"Levi?"

"Hm...huh...?" He weakly asked.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Mhm."

"Ok, then sleep. I'll take care of Erwin." Eren leaned down and placed a light kiss on Levi's forehead. He then stood up, rolled the blankets up to Levi's shoulders, and walked back over to Erwin.

Erwin was definitely out cold, so he wasn't worried about having to restrain him. He reached down and picked the man up. Eren had to say, he was pretty damn heavy. He struggled to not fall over from the extra weight added to his stance.

He awkwardly stumbled out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and through the front door. All while trying not to drop the man in his arms. In a way, he wanted to just let go of the guy, but doing so would most likely wake Erwin up. That wouldn't be good news for either of them.

_Damn...I just want to get away from this guy...I hate him, he's so revolting. To think he'd try to rape Levi like that...how **dare** he. I hope he rots in Hell!_

He eventually set Erwin down in the grass faraway from Levi's house, very far. He didn't want the man to come back, that would be unacceptable to him.

_This man doesn't deserve Levi's love. He doesn't deserve love at all. I wish he'd just die; this world is bad enough without having to deal with guys like him._

Eren hadn't meant for his wish to become reality. He was just stating a fact that his mind had come up with. Although, may it be divine intervention ,or even God, nothing could change that Erwin died the next day from a sudden car crash.

He lost his right arm in the accident and it had to be amputated, but he didn't survive the internal bleeding that had been caused by metal shrapnel from the collision. In a way, Eren was happy that he was dead. Yet, another part of him kept saying it was wrong to find joy in someone's passing.

However, Levi had been affected in a completely different way. He stopped eating, he stayed up until morning, then slept all day, and he even refused to let Eren calm him down from his frequent nightmares.

"Let me help you. You're sick, you need help." Eren said, gently placing his hand on Levi's arm. His offer was immediately rejected with one simple word.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Now leave me alone."

"God damnit, Levi! I'm trying my hardest, but you're too damn stubborn. I can't stand it! I feel so fucking helpless!"

"If you feel helpless, then leave! Then you won't have to deal with my shit!" Levi buried his face in his hands, the feeling of tears beginning to arise.

"I could never do that, Levi...You need me."

"No! I...I can't do this anymore...I wanna die...please..."

"W-what?"

"Please, Eren! Please kill me! I'm begging you!"

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**Hi guys! I'm back! Tell me what you think of this chapter, please and thank you! Yes, I just _had_ to kill off Erwin. Mainly because of his status in the manga and anime, I just wanted it to follow that sort of dynamic. I'm also in the mood to kill someone after watching and finishing Death Note.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Warning : Mentions of suicide** _

**Chapter 9 – Dutch Courage**

It'd been a week since Levi had abruptly screamed out in a raging, suicidal fit, Eren wasn't having an easy time controlling him either. He'd stayed up all night one day, sitting next to the older man as he tried to ease his tears. The day after that, the boy found a razor blade sitting in the bathroom with specks of blood on it. He took Levi straight to the hospital once that happened, forcibly shoving him into his car and speeding down the road. The man had protested, but he couldn't do much about it either way. A few days following that lovely escapade, Eren had to go back to college. His classes wouldn't hold up for him, even if he was aiding someone who _clearly_ needed help.

A foggy Monday morning wasn't boosting his mood in the slightest. He'd gotten up early, only to be stuck in traffic for the next hour, making it to campus just as the bell echoed across the school. Grunting as he sat in his seat, he pulled out his textbook for the class. The poor thing was worn and ripped beyond repair, but it wasn't his problem, he didn't do it, it was just that way when he got it. His best friend, Armin, ended up arriving late, which made Eren anxious since he knew Armin never missed school.

His eyes lifted once he saw a familiar gloss of blond hair come into view.

"Hey, sorry I was late." The boy whispered as he took his seat, scooching closer to Eren.

"What happened?"

"Traffic."

"Ah. Gotcha."

Armin leaned over to his friend's side, watching intently while he texted on his phone.

"Who're you texting?"

Eren gave a side-glance before saying, "A friend."

"Ooh. Do tell me more." The blond gently nudged Eren with his elbow, visibly teasing him.

"He's just a client from work."

"And?"

" _And_ he's blind."

The boy widened his eyes, then straightened his back. His breathing narrowed out, sinking back in his seat, he drew out a long, steady sigh.

"Well...what's he like?"

"Oh, um...he's kinda...distant."

"And? _C'mon_ , there's gotta be more." He continued teasing.

Eren scratched the back of his neck before continuing. "I don't know. I haven't known him that long."

"Is he cute?"

Eren's cheeks flushed a bright red, in attempt to hide his face, he knocked over his textbook, the hardback falling with a loud _crack_. Everyone except the professor, who just kept lecturing, looked back towards the two friends. Eren slumped down in his chair, still blushing pink, with his arms across his face.

"Ugh..."

"Sorry... But seriously, is he?"

A tired sigh was breathed as an assumed answer, but then Eren spoke.

"I guess." He mumbled, Armin just barely catching his words.

"Mm...what does he look like?"

Another sigh.

"He has obsidian-black hair, steel-gray eyes, and he's really short." The boy grumbled the last part, acting as if Levi was there in the room.

"Oooh. He sounds handsome."

"He's not."

"Huh?"

"I said he's not...because he's _gorgeous_." Eren made sure to add a French accent to his voice, enunciating the word with an effortless grace unbeknownst to Armin.

"Wow. Do you like him?"

"He's my client. I can't get involved with someone from work."

"Hmm...when he stops being your client, then you could. It would be unrelated to work at that point. Right?"

Eren gazed at the ceiling, pondering the idea, but quickly throwing it away despite how much he wanted his older companion.

_I couldn't do that to him. He's been through way too much, I'd just make everything worse._

"That's true, but I'm not that kind of person. Plus, he's blind. Do you really think he wants his every move to be controlled by some cocky, college brat? I think not. Anyway, I have to go, he's expecting me back in half an hour." With that, he rose from the bench, shoved his book into his duffle bag, and walked off. The class hadn't even bothered to ask why he left, even though a few side glances were shot at him as he did.

* * *

Back at Levi's place, the man was getting annoyed with how late Eren was. He'd been awake ever since Eren had woken up that morning. He just couldn't go back to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. He'd read a book, hoping it would bore him enough to take a nap, but when even _that_ didn't work, he just gave up altogether. At least Eren cracked the window before he left, so Levi could hear the birds and young children outside. The morning breeze was wafting through too, just enough to where it wasn't awfully cold or unpleasantly hot.

The brunet just knew he was going to get yelled at, he'd been late every single day that week, and Levi would kick his shin every time. His skin was developing a light bruise now, the boy trying his best to hide it, especially from Armin. He figured a little makeup would conceal it well enough from his friend, and he'd succeeded so far.

_Ah...crap, crap, crap, crap! I'm late again! He's gonna murder me!_

Nearly falling as he opened the door, Eren tiptoed his way through the house, hoping and praying that the crotchety man was still asleep. Albeit, luck definitely wasn't on his side that day because, as soon as he laid a foot on the stairs, Levi was poking his head out of the bedroom with a skeptical look plastered on his face.

_I'm dead..._

"Eren, that's you, right?" He cautiously asked, carefully gripping the doorframe as a sort of security.

"Y-yes..." Eren stumbled over his words, and knowing he was going to get a kick later didn't help any. "I-I'm sorry for being so late."

Levi slowly turned around and fumbled his way back to the bed, laying down as soon as he got there. The lovely feeling of the mattress, the silk, the velvet, everything about his bed was luxurious. His entire house was that way, all the way down to the floors.

He let out a long-withheld sigh while he sank further into the plushness. "Hah...man, this sucks..."

Eren cocked his head in confusion, then spoke up for himself.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean my situation. I can't perform simple, daily tasks anymore. I just wanna go to work, but my boss isn't budging at all." Another sigh escaped the man's pursed lips.

"Um..." Eren stumbled again. "Excuse me for asking, but where exactly _do_ you work?"

Levi tensed, sinking even further back; he glanced in Eren's general direction and, closing his eyes, said, "I'm a doctor."

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**Hellosies! Don't mind me, I'm being weird. Anyway, I'm so grateful to everyone who takes the time to read this. I know it's a rather short chapter, but I had to have some way to start the next one. OH! I'm also going to incorporate others ideas into this, so if you guys have any requests or just want a cute little cafe date then be my guest. lol. ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Backwash Waves**

"A d-doctor...?" His voice was low, and it almost sounded _apologetic_.

Levi turned away from the younger boy and circled his arms around his waist. He knew there would be a flurry of questions after what he said, he also knew that Eren would look at him differently now because of it.

"Yeah, what of it? It's not like I'm in some high-class mansion or something. Being a doctor isn't what people crack it up to be. Trust me." He said in his regular, monotone voice.

Eren motioned his body to sit next to Levi on the edge of the bed. The weight of the two strained the mattress, an audible _creak_ echoing through the room. The air shifted once Levi turned to face the other way, his eyes narrowing out after he felt the boy's back near his legs, preventing him from pulling them up to his chest.

"Move your ass, Jaeger, I wanna sleep."

Eren didn't move though, he just kept staring at the wall.

"Eren."

Silence.

"Hey, Brat!"

Finally, he snapped back to reality, his eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the light.

"Hm? Did you say something?" He asked, still in a slight daze.

Levi sighed before turning around again, leaving a confused Eren to ponder his thoughts. The brunet stared at his hands, then gently lifted one to push a strand of silky, black hair out of Levi's face. Levi blinked, confused by what Eren just did.

"There was a piece of hair, I moved it." He softly spoke, smiling as he did.

"Mm..."

"C'mon, Levi...what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

A stilling silence dragged on for minutes until Levi decided to change the subject.

"Look, I'm not mad. I'm just a little frustrated because my boss won't even let me type up a few emails."

"Huh? But...how do you use your computer if you can't see the keyboard?"

Levi let out another sigh and reached over to the nightstand, grabbing his phone. He clicked the power button, opened it to the homescreen, and continued by pressing the button on the bottom part of the screen. It let out a _dinging_ sound, then Levi started talking.

"Hey, Google, go to my email." The phone lit up and took him to his Gmail account, much to Eren's surprise.

"Woah! That's cool! I completely forgot about the Siri option." He chuckled a little, and Levi could hear the embarrassment in his voice. "I always type stuff out, so I don't use Siri that much."

"Jeez."

"What?"

"It's nothing. I just find it funny that you know very little about phones."

"Hey! I'm busy with school, I don't have time to waste on my phone!" He yelled, blushing red from the humiliation.

"Ok, ok. I get it."

"Hmph!" Eren crossed his arms like a toddler, then turned his body away from the man in a small temper tantrum.

"Stop acting like a kid. It'll just embarrass you more." Levi gave a small smile, set his phone aside, and laid back down, turning away from Eren again.

The brunet scooched closer to his back, then placed a hand on Levi's cheek, gently rubbing circles into the skin. Levi closed his eyes at the touch, relishing the soothing attention. He brought his legs up to his chest and leaned his face into Eren's hand. They sat there, enjoying each other's company, until a knock at the door echoed through the house. Eren grunted before pushing himself off the bed.

"Do you have to go?" Levi asked, lightly tugging on Eren's shirt.

Eren took Levi's hand in his own, gliding his thumb across the top of the man's hand. "I'll be right back."

"But—"

_Knock knock._

The hand that held Levi's disappeared, replaced by the feeling of empty air.

A wave of panic washed over him, "Eren?"

"It's alright." His caretaker reassured him as he walked out of the bedroom.

Eren walked down the stairs, eying the door as he went. He reached the front door and looked out the blinds. There was a lady with red hair standing on the porch; her hair was messy as it fell limply in a ponytail, she also had a pair of glasses. The brunet stared at the woman until she looked up. A brief moment was spent in a staring contest, then woman finally blinked before speaking her mind.

"Oh! Hi! I'm Levi's colleague, his manager told me to stop by his house and drop off a few things." Her voice was muffled by the glass, but Eren understood her loud and clear, considering she was halfway shouting.

"Ah!" Eren grabbed the door handle, turning it to allow the lady to enter. "Sorry, we've been getting a lot of company lately, and I didn't know who you were so..."

She cut him off before he could even finish his thought.

"I understand. It's good to be wary of strange people. Now! Where's Levi?" She paused for a moment. "Come on out you little hermit crab! Eld has been worried sick about you, you aren't gonna let him down, are you?"

Eren flinched at her loudness. He then moved to the stairs, stepping up each step until he reached the top.

"Can you tell me where Levi is? I have to see him."

The boy brought his hand over to the railing, "He's in his room."

"Huh?"

"Levi's in his room. I assume you already know about his condition."

"Oh! Yes, I do! That's also something I want to ask him about."

Eren began to walk down the hall and back to Levi's bedroom. The woman quickly bounded up the stairs and sprinted down the hall, meeting up with Eren right as he opened the door.

The door let out a wooden _creak_ , the two wincing at the sound.

"Eren?" The older man clutched the covers as he scooted away from the noise.

"It's ok, I'm here." Eren calmly reassured him.

"So am I!" The redhead hollered.

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Hanji?"

She beamed from ear to ear, grinning with pearly white teeth.

"Yep! I'm here on behalf of Eld."

Levi visibly cringed and laid back on his side, pulling the blanket over his shoulder.

"Why'd he send _you_?"

"Wha—I'm awesome! I don't know what you're talking about!"

The man sighed heavily, groaning as he sat back up.

"Jeez, Levi! You sound like an old man!" Hanji raised an eyebrow, then set her hand on her hip.

Levi sighed once more as he crossed his legs, resting his hands in his lap and knitting his fingers together.

"I _am_ old, Shitty Glasses."

Eren walked over to the bed and sat down. He flung his body back, being mindful of Levi's legs, and brought his hands up to support his head.

"You're not old! Who told you that!?" She continued to ask.

He sighed again, "Me. I told myself that because I _am_ old."

Hanji gasped as she clutched her face with her hands. She ran over to Levi and grasped his shoulders.

"Don't you ever say that!"

Levi shrugged, "Why not? It's true."

"Well because yo—"

Eren cut in briefly, stating his mind while he had the chance to talk. "Excuse me?" He smiled sheepishly. "Exactly how old _are_ you, Levi?"

Hanji turned to Eren, grinning as she did.

"He's th—"

A hand on Hanji's face shut her up for a second or two, so Levi could answer.

"I'm thirty-four. I turn thirty-five in about a month."

Hanji finally freed herself from his grip and shouted another sentence, "I forgot it was December! It feels like spring!"

Levi scoffed, "Yeah, it's called Global Warming, dumbass."

"Pfft! That's not real!"

"Oh yeah? Well, come back again when you're in the middle of the ocean, standing on what used to be New York, but now it's just a little island on the ocean floor." The sarcasm in his voice grew with every word.

"Yea—"

" _And_ the state of Hawaii will be gone by 2050. Not to mention all of the fires, flooding, and other 'natural disasters' that we give that label to, even though they're all a result of greenhouse gases."

"Lev—" She tried again.

"Have you even stopped to _think_ about everything that could happen before 2100? Sea levels rising way past their limit, fires spreading across the Western Region, continuously worsening droughts, thousands of species going extinct, I could go all day with this." He was panting from not stopping to breathe during the whole minute he was talking.

"Levi! That's just the Earth doing its normal thing. Scientists have proven that there's nothing to worry about."

That earned another scoff from the skeptical man.

"Mhm. Tell me that when you're dead." He laid back down and curled up in his blankets, hugging them close to his chest.

"Fine then, I will! Anyway, I came to tell you that Eld is letting you off until further notice, and I also wanted to bring your stuff from the office." She set the box she'd brought with her down on the bed.

Eren hadn't even noticed it, but upon further examination, he figured the box was so small he wouldn't have seen it anyway. It was about the size of a music box, with a silver plate on the side that read 'Ackerman'.

"Thanks, leave it on the nightstand and get out of my room."

She puffed out her cheeks, then turned to leave, but snapped her fingers mid-walk.

"Ah! That's right!"

Levi sighed, "What now?"

"The boss said it was _taken care of_ , you don't need to worry about it anymore. His words, not mine."

The man's eyes widened and he sat up in a hurry, slapping his hands to the side of his legs as he did.

With his mouth ajar and eyes wide, he spoke softly, "I told you to keep him away from that."

Hanji smiled a devilish grin before skipping out of the bedroom, walking downstairs, and leaving the way she came. Eren walked out of the room, watching as the strange lady left. She waved a quick goodbye to Eren, then shut the door.

"Eren! Come here!"

The brunet jumped at the man's voice, not really being used to Levi's harsh tone since he spoke so kindly to him. He did as he was told, strolling back to the bed and sitting down.

"What is it?"

"Open that box and throw the pictures away."

"Why?"

"I'm not stuttering here; do as I say!" Levi gripped at the blanket tighter than before, thinking about the items in that box made his stomach twist, and the nauseating feeling to throw up began to bubble in his throat.

"But...why?"

"Damn it, Eren! Do it! I'm sick and tired of people questioning me! That's why we're here in the first place!"

He knew he was screaming, he knew he was angry, he didn't want to be, but he was.

_Why is this happening...? That damned Hanji. She just had to come, didn't she...why...why me? Why here? Why now?! Everything was fine until **he** ruined it! I was happy until **he** came along! Damn! Damn! Damn!! DAMN!!!_

"DAMN IT!" His voice cracked mid-sentence, but his tone was clearly evident.

Eren's eyes flew open at Levi's voice. He fell off the bed, landing harshly on his back and knocking the air from his lungs. His skin went hot from the fright, his stomach even had butterflies; they weren't the good kind either. To say the least, the boy was frightened by the state of his friend. When he looked back up, Levi was a panting, sweaty, trembling mess.

His eyebrows furrowed, he stood upright, then sat back down next to Levi, who was now sitting up in the bed with the blankets strewn across the mattress. He spoke softly as he wrapped an arm around the smaller man.

"Shh...It's alright. Everything's gonna be fine." He glanced over to Levi before continuing. "If you want me to leave, then I will."

"No...don't..." A small sob escaped as his breathing became more erratic.

A smile tugged on the boy's lips, "Ok."

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**Ok! I hope you guys liked this chapter.... I wonder who Levi was talking about...hmm... I also wanna thank everyone that's left kudos, comments, etc. on this. Lol....I never get this much attention...**


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